1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a failure information detection device, a failure information detection system, a server, and a failure information detection method which are constructed to transmit abnormality information from a vehicle to an information center.
2. Description of the Related Art
Various vehicle-mounted devices mounted in a vehicle are controlled by electronic control units on the basis of signals detected by sensors or necessary information. In many cases, such an electronic control unit is equipped with a self-diagnosis function that diagnoses whether a vehicle-mounted device is operating normally. A result of the self-diagnosis is recorded in the vehicle, and is later used at a repair shop or the like in order to analyze the cause of abnormality or the like. In order to sooner collect information regarding occurrence of abnormality, there has been proposed a technology in which abnormality information regarding a vehicle is transmitted on the spot to an information center.
For example, Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2006-96325 (JP-A-2006-96325) discloses a technology in which an information center collects abnormality information regarding a vehicle, and transmits the information to the automaker or the dealer, so that the automaker or the dealer may analyze the cause of the abnormality, or may utilize the information for development of products or the like.
However, if all the abnormality information is transmitted to the information center, the abnormality information generated in the case where the vehicle-mounted device actually has no fault, for example, in the case of replacement of a component part or the like which is undesirably detected as abnormality, is also transmitted to the information center.
FIG. 1 shows a general construction diagram of a failure information detection system according to the related art. A vehicle 110 is equipped with a clearance sonar device (vehicle-mounted device) that detects an obstacle present near the vehicle at the time of parking or the like, and that notifies a driver of the distance and the direction to the obstacle. The clearance sonar device has ultrasonic sensors 130 that are provided inside a bumper 140, and an electronic control unit 120 that detects signals from the ultrasonic sensors 130 is disposed on a vehicle body. Therefore, when the bumper 140 is replaced, the connection between an electronic control unit 120 and the ultrasonic sensors 130 is disconnected.
Since the electronic control unit 120 directly monitors the signals that the ultrasonic sensors 130 detect, the electronic control unit 120 detects an abnormality (a break or disconnection of line) of the clearance sonar device when the connection between the electronic control unit 120 and the ultrasonic sensors 130 is disconnected although there is no fault or the like with the ultrasonic sensors 130. Therefore, this abnormality information is transmitted to an information center 150.
The break of line in this case occurs only temporarily at the time of replacement of a component part, and is not caused by an abnormality of an ultrasonic sensor 130 or an actual breakage of a connecting line. However, at the information center 150, it may not be determined whether the abnormality indicated by abnormality information is a temporary situation, or a result of an actual fault of a device or the like. Therefore, the automaker or the dealer sometimes may not take an appropriate measure, such as analysis of the failure, procurement of component parts, etc., even though the automaker or the dealer has received abnormality information.